I work as a clerical assistant in a pediatric dental office, and I am commonly surprised by the number of children who are scared of the dentist. Many kids think that cleanings will be painful, and they believe they will be scolded for eating sugary foods. Children are also extremely frightful of the noises made by the water spraying tools and the suction devices. As adults, we know that dental cleanings are easy and free of pain. We need to impart this knowledge to our children so they know not to fear the dentist. I have provided blogs that will help you speak with your child about dental care. Good communication, trips to your own dentist, and online videos can assist you. So will good brushing techniques that will make your child proud to see the dentist. Enjoy my articles so you can help your child build oral care confidence.

Teaching Your Children About the Dentist

Understanding Dry Mouth Symptoms And Resolutions

3 October 2016

Alfred Kelley

If your mouth isn't producing enough saliva to keep it from drying out, you may struggle with an uncomfortable dry feeling and problems with bacteria. The good news is that there are many ways to treat the problem. In order to find an effective treatment, you need to understand the root cause of the symptoms.

What's Causing Your Dry Mouth?

Here are a few common causes of dry mouth symptoms:

Many different medical conditions can lead to dry mouth. If you've been diagnosed with any condition that can lead to dry mouth, be sure to talk with your doctor about treatment options to help you compensate for it.

Nerve damage to your head or neck can affect salivary gland function. The nerves in that area carry messages from your brain to your salivary glands, so any disruption in their function can hinder your saliva production.

Some medications cause dry mouth as well. Whether you're taking an over-the-counter medication or a prescription one, if dry mouth is a possible side effect, your doctor may want you to take something different. Talk with your doctor and dentist about changing any prescriptions that are causing problems.

How Can You Mitigate The Symptoms?

There are a few things that you can do on your own to help improve your dry mouth symptoms. Start by eliminating tobacco products entirely as they can contribute to that dryness. In addition, keep up with your routine oral health care. Make sure that you brush on a daily basis and use a mouthwash product that will combat bacteria. Make sure you visit your dentist every six months as well. Those visits are even more important when you struggle with dry mouth because of the bacteria buildup that can lead to significant tooth decay.

If these measures aren't enough, your dentist may suggest that you use a prescription medication to boost your saliva production. When paired with things like chewing gum, saliva-boosting mouth rinses and other products, you may be able to moderate the symptoms enough for comfort. If you choose any kind of chewing gum, make sure it's sugar free. That way you don't contribute sugar to an environment that's already likely to generate decay.

Dry mouth can lead to uncomfortable days. Luckily, you don't have to just put up with it. When you narrow down the source of the problem and take steps to compensate, you may be able to improve your comfort.